smart parking sensor — Blog — Cleverciti | Smart Parking for Smart Cities — Cleverciti

Who are the best suppliers of Smart Parking sensors?

Suppliers of smart parking sensors worth mentioning are Nedap, EnSight and Cleverciti.

First of all, it is important to define: what makes a good sensor? A good sensor is:

Cleverciti Sensor

Cleverciti, a global company with offices in the US and UK and headquarters in Munich, Germany, has managed to harness the power of edge computing, artificial intelligence, and deep learning to provide a smart parking solution that shapes the streetscape of smart cities. The Cleverciti Sensor measures the exact position and size of open parking spaces, supplying drivers and parking operators with highly reliable, real-time information on available spaces.

With a range of up to 220 degrees, the Cleverciti Sensor can cover up to 100 parking spaces through edge computing, IoT & AI technology. It does not have to be installed in-ground but instead makes use of existing infrastructure and can be mounted on lamp posts, masts or buildings. Depending on the surroundings, the installation of one sensor takes less than one hour. Should the needs change, the sensors can easily be relocated.

Data captured by the sensors is updated every three seconds, allowing real-time detection of available parking spaces. Processing of the data occurs within the sensor itself, meaning that no video leaves the sensor. This not only minimizes bandwidth costs but also ensures that the smart parking system is fully compliant with privacy regulations. In addition, data transmissions are fully encrypted.

Lübeck Bay: Effectively steering visitor traffic flow in a popular tourism region with smart tourism app

In Lübeck Bay, a popular tourist region on the northern coast of Germany, Cleverciti has helped to effectively steer visitor traffic flow by implementing Cleverciti Sensors and the Cleverciti Cockpit to monitor and generate real-time data for over 100 parking spaces along the coastline.

The customer

With approximately 1.5 million overnight stays and 1.5 million day visitors per year, Lübeck Bay is one of the most popular tourist regions in Germany and one of the top destinations in the German state of Schleswig-Holstein. Due to its close proximity to the city of Hamburg, it is a beloved trip for people that want to escape city life and enjoy some quality time at the beaches of Scharbeutz and Timmendorf. The Tourismus-Agentur Lübecker Bucht is responsible for the promotion and sustainable development of tourism along the entire stretch of the coast.

The case

Lübeck Bay welcomes a high volume of guests especially in the summer, resulting in traffic congestion as tourists search for available parking spaces. The local tourism agency wishes to manage the visitor flow alongside the coast more efficiently. Cleverciti was selected to implement smart parking systems to monitor the real-time occupancy status of two parking lots near a popular beach.

The Cleverciti solution

Cleverciti monitors approximately 100 parking spaces divided over two parking lots via 9 overhead Cleverciti Sensors, which were easily installed to the existing lamp posts. The occupancy data generated by the smart parking sensors are made available to the tourism agency via the Cleverciti Cockpit, a comprehensive parking management dashboard.

The result

The Cleverciti parking system was installed and deployed quickly and easily. The operation of the sensors is now running without any administrative or operational effort by the tourism agency. The live parking data is integrated into various websites, reducing parking search time for tourists and improving the quality of life for local inhabitants.

In addition to that, the Tourismus-Agentur Lübecker Bucht has been awarded the German Tourism Award 2020 for its concept to better direct visitor streams. The agency was one of five nominees out of 158 applicants.

Smart parking in an urban context

Readily available parking spaces tend to be a rare commodity in crowded cities with drivers circling an area repeatedly on the look-out for a free spot. Smart parking systems can helpmaximize available parking by detecting all free spaces and guiding drivers to the most convenient one, allowing them to avoid unnecessary time loss.

Smart guidance for drivers, businesses, parking operators, and civic authorities

Smart parking is relevant for four main target groups: the general public, businesses, parking operators, and civic authorities. The average driver spends ten to twenty minutes looking for a parking space, which is not only a waste of time but also has a negative environmental impact.